Silk Tapestry of the Assembly of Immortals at Jasper Lake

This work depicts a scene of the abode of the Queen Mother of the West (Xi Wangmu) during her birthday celebration at Jasper Lake in the Western Paradise. The hanging scroll is more than two meters long, making it the largest extant silk tapestry of the Ming dynasty. The loom on which this elaborate work was created must have been enormous. Full of diverse imagery, the work is rare among the wide-range of silk tapestry works produced throughout Chinese art history. The composition is lavish in detail with a splendid arrangement of color. Consequently, the exquisite work would have been a suitable decoration for luxuriant birthday celebrations.